Final Fantasy VIII: Eyes on You
by L'esprit-Noir
Summary: Two years after Balamb Garden's victory over Sorceress Ultimecia, the heroes of the world were being hunted by the world for protecting the very being they were destined to destroy-the sorceress-and their only ally was once the puppet of their greatest enemy. A/N: New Chapters posted based on demand - please provide feedback in the review section.
1. Chapter 1

DISCLAIMER: The following characters, settings, and plot lines are based on material licensed under Squaresoft/Squareenix

* * *

FINAL FANTASY VIII

**Eyes on You**

By

L'esprit Noir

* * *

DAY THREE: Edea's Orphanage

A cool breeze lifted loose petals into the fragrant air, twirling them helplessly beneath the diamond encrusted sky that stretched serenely over the expansive flowery field. Standing within the riot of color, Squall saw a shooting star as he extended his hand, on which was a black fingerless glove, to catch a white wayward feather swaying majestically amongst the beautiful petals.

"…The promise we made in this place saved us both," Squall said out loud to himself while gently holding the feather, "but where do we go from here?"

Lightning sounded in the distance as a gust of wind carried in the smell of rain. Squall released the feather, and as it raced into the heavens he heard a voice behind him:

"You look different, Squall."

The voice was familiar, like memories of forgotten dreams. Turning around, Squall saw a man wearing white camouflage cargo-jeans secured by a black belt and tucked into black boots, a black tank-top, and a short sleeved black leather trench-coat with blue lining and red crosses on both arms: Though his apparel was different, he still looked the same—he still wore a slight smirk like some self-gratifying badge of honor.

"Seifer," Squall said in a spiteful tone laced with shock.

After laughing softly, Seifer said, "I almost didn't recognize you…"

Seifer was right—Squall did look different: His trademark boots were now made of white suede; his slim black pants, which were secured by a single brown belt with a large silver buckle, had a black belt around each thigh that held numerous red bullets for his gunblade; and over his white sleeveless V-neck T-shirt, he wore a slim leather coat, which descended down past his hips, with a large black fur collar. The most striking difference, however, was his short hair, which was styled forward in direct opposition to Seifer's. Squall looked different, but he was still Squall—the sight of Seifer still caused his temper to flare.

While pointing the tip of his gunblade at Squall, Seifer asked, "How does it feel to be living the dream?"

Without hesitation or deliberation, Squall marched forward and gripped the handle of his gunblade, which he'd stabbed into the earth upon arriving. With his weapon securely in his grasp, he charged forward.

Both men pulled their triggers as their blades connected, creating a massive, colorful blast of energy that distorted the very air, rippled their clothing, and sent countless petals into an aerial frenzy. Seifer met each of Squall's ensuing attacks with a skillful block, smiling all the while; moving forward, backwards, and side to side, each devastating clash cleared the area of flowers, reflecting the destructive force of their rivalry.

Confident as always, Seifer spun back to allow Squall the opportunity to reload, saying, "Life on the run has made you weak, Squall. You've forgotten the rush of actually facing your opponent!"

"And you've forgotten how many times I've defeated you!" Squall shouted while flicking his fully loaded cylinder into position; spinning his blade behind him, he rushed Seifer yet again.

Seifer did nothing but raise his bare hand to meet Squall's advance; a torrent of red sparks erupted from his palm, and in a split second, a ball of fire manifested before him, growing as though it were a black hole feeding off the air itself.

As the deadly sphere of fire shot forth, Squall determinedly swung his gunblade, and by pulling the trigger, blew the fiery blast into burning cinders. With the cinders raining down around him, Squall spun in a circle, frost consuming his forearm, and raised his palm to Seifer just as jagged shards of ice erupted from his hand.

Though the flurry of snowflakes produced by the spell, Squall saw Seifer smile while holding out his arms, apparently ready to let the frozen spears pierce his heart; for a brief moment, the thought of Seifer's permanent downfall gave rise to a hallow feeling within Squall's chest.

Half a second later, however, the harrowing sound of thunder shattered the hallow feeling as a blinding peal of lightning ripped down from the sky, striking the icy blades and turning them into nothing but water moments before they hit their target.

Cutting through the wave of water, Seifer dashed forward, unleashing a series a quick, nimble slashes and thrusts that Squall narrowly deflected. Arms shaking from the intense vibration of colliding swords, ears ringing from the deafening sound of explosive bullets that released incredible shockwaves, and heart racing from the thrill of battle, Squall locked blades with Seifer, swiftly bashed him in the face with his head, and kicked him to the ground.

Before Seifer could move, the tip of Squall's blade was at his throat. The wind howled, pushing cold raindrops miles from their dark origins. Seifer smiled. Squall had to stop himself from adding an extra scar to Seifer's forehead; an X to mark the spot his sword would inevitably someday pierce.

"I promised I'd wait here for her!" Squall yelled as the misplaced rain pelted his face; fighting Seifer had brought buried emotions to the surface—emotions best understood by his worst enemy.

"Waiting here for the girl you fell for won't change the woman you love," Seifer said with a small grin. "That girl is gone, and the woman she became isn't coming to this place."

Slowly, Squall lowered his blade. "The sorceress is the enemy of SeeD…how can I justify the lives lost protecting her?"

"That's not what this is about," Seifer said while standing up. "It's about change, Squall; it's about a seed becoming something more."

As Seifer laughed to himself, Squall hatefully asked, "Why are you here?"

Stabbing his gunblade into the ground, looking more self-entitled than ever, Seifer replied, "I'm here to fulfill my romantic dream."

* * *

**Prelude**

Immediately after Ultimecia's defeat, Squall and Rinoa were picked up by Balamb Garden near Edea's orphanage. On the way back to Balamb, Squall expressed concerns over what would become of Garden; Headmaster Cid assured him that SeeD would still have a place in the world cleaning up after Ultimecia. Once in Balamb, Esthar officials arrived, informing Squall that their president had requested a meeting and could be found in Winhill.

After a small ceremony was held in honor of the heroes that brought an end to the S.S., or Second Sorceress War, Balamb Garden made the journey to Winhill. There, the President of Esthar, Laguna Loire, offered SeeD a contract combating the Lunar Cry aftermath; Squall was informed that if he agreed to help, Rinoa would be allowed to remain with Garden. Squall agreed, and it was then revealed that Esthar planned to reconstruct Trabia Garden; following advice from Cid Kramer and Ellone, Laguna contacted the White SeeDs, offering them management of Trabia Garden upon its completion.

After leaving Winhill, Balamb Garden immediately got permission from the Balamb Township to construct another facility in the same location as the original Garden; this new facility, dubbed Balamb Meadow, would be managed by Cid Kramer and his wife, Edea, who stayed in Balamb while Squall proceeded to Esthar. Once in Esthar, several Garden personal were sent to Trabia to assist with Trabia Garden's reconstruction, and several more were deemed NCOs (non-commissioned officers) charged with leading Estharian military units.

Meanwhile, with Ultimecia dead, the continent of Galbadia had fallen into chaos. While Galbadian politicians attempted to control the remnants of their renegade military, which had brought Galbadia Garden back to its original location for repairs, several members of Timber's various resistance organizations convened to decide the fate of their country; with Galbadia in shambles, nothing stood between Timber's ambitions for independence. Also, in the north, Dollet was flooded with Estharian immigrants that had moved through Trabia and Balamb to escape the Lunar Cry.

Three months later, Esthar had renovated the bridge connecting it to the Galbadian continent, which they used to transport resources purchased from Timber. During these transactions, Timber pressured Dollet and Esthar to help them determine how to handle the country of Galbadia until a new president could be elected; during the first meeting, Esthar ushered the formation of a "Union of Reposing Nations", or URN, that quickly established international regulations pertaining to warfare. In accordance with these new laws, several ex-Galbadian soldiers and SeeDs, many of which were taking refuge in their dilapidated Garden, were branded as war criminals, and Trabian SeeDs were contracted to catch them; upon apprehension, these criminals were imprisoned in D-District. Galbadia Garden was then moved to the Rhem Archipelago, west of Deling City, and made the headquarters of URN—Kiros Seagill was appointed as Esthar's URN representative, and Dollet and Timber furnished representatives as well.

Shortly after, a Galbadian election was held; under advice from Cid Kramer, ex-Headmaster Martine of Galbadia Garden was sponsored by Esthar in the presidential race; various prominent Galbadian citizens sponsored Fury Caraway; and Timber, unsatisfied with both candidates, worked with Dollet to sponsor a family member of the Dollet Dukedom—Martine was ultimately elected, and he quickly appointed Caraway as Galbadia's URN representative.

Thus, six months after Ultimecia's demise, peace swept across the globe for the first time in years. It was then that the President of Esthar, Laguna Loire, stepped down from office, returning to Winhill with his adopted daughter, Ellone; Esthar's International Relations Specialist, Synalyn Reigns, hastily assumed his position.

During the following months, Balamb Garden helped Esthar make considerable headway against the monsters plaguing their continent, and a year after the end of the S.S., Balamb Garden was dismissed. President Reigns then ordered Estharian soldiers south into Centra to protect numerous miners and construction workers sent in to colonize the barren continent.

The East was prospering, but in the West, peace had already started to unravel. The central culprits were pro-Galbadian radicals calling themselves "the Knights of Ultima", who through violent uprisings seized control of their downtrodden government and banished their URN representative. Then, they let several war criminals out of D-District prison, stating that since Galbadia was no longer a part of URN, they were exempt from URN legislation.

Dollet responded first by drafting Estharian immigrants into military service and purchasing weapons of war with money obtained from tourism during peacetime. With their armies strength greatly increased, Dollet threatened Galbadia with all out war if President Martine and their URN representative were not immediately reinstated. When Galbadia refused, Dollet proclaimed the entire country—civilians included—an enemy of international peace; citizens wishing to avoid persecution were urged to flee Galbadia immediately.

Galbadian refugees tried to move south, but Timber had its newly established army blockade their northern boarders, preventing access. Timber's reasoning was the fact that Esthar had made them rich by purchasing resources during the Lunar Cry aftermath, and they used that money to begin colonization of Centra; thus, participating in the war or allowing refugees into the country would "only hinder Timber's progress."

Timber's decision to remain neutral was a blessing for Galbadia, but Dollet proved to be more formidable than they'd anticipated, and so, in an act of desperation, Galbadia sent several requests to Balamb Garden and Balamb Meadow for aid; in need of income to sustain their very existence, Balamb Garden accepted Galbadia's contracts, as did Balamb Meadow. This action caused both Dollet and Timber to immediately grow extremely paranoid; it was a well know fact that the sorceress, Rinoa Heartilly, was still with Balamb Garden, and the last thing anyone wanted was a sorceress working with Galbadia again.

Six months passed and even with the help of SeeDs from Balamb, Galbadia made little headway against Dollet. It was during this time that a large portion of Timber's populace, including wealthy industry leaders, began to feel like action must be taken against Galbadia. Despite their government's official desire to remain uninvolved, prominent Timber citizens formed a faction called "Exceress" and began contracting Trabian SeeDs to actively participate in the war, leading to several bloody encounters between SeeDs from Balamb and SeeDs from Trabia.

Timber was distressed by the emergence of Exceress as it led to conflicting interests amongst the populace, and Dollet was becoming weary with the ongoing war; both counties expressed their concerns to Esthar, but Esthar stated that it wanted no part in the conflict. Timber's government believed that if Esthar intervened in the war, Exceress would fade away and Timber would be united again, but because Esthar refused to do so, Timber withdrew from URN and began actively fighting Esthar over Centran territory; a bold move considering their small army was still maintaining the Galbadian blockade.

Dollet officially withdrew from URN shortly after, meaning the union was officially disbanded. URN had allowed Esthar to manipulate events in their favor via conferences held with the leaders of Timber and Dollet; without URN, Esthar was an unaffiliated party with no stake in Western affairs. Eager to reestablish their position of power, Esthar vowed to capture Sorceress Rinoa and bring her to trial; like Timber and Dollet, Esthar believed the Knights of Ultima had contracted Balamb and not Trabia because of Balamb's affiliation with the sorceress, and so they assumed that without her, the Knights would surrender, thus ending the war. When Timber and Dollet heard Esthar's promise, they agreed to rejoin URN if Rinoa was indeed captured; they also promised to help in any way they could.

Balamb Garden, which had essentially made Galbadia its new home, was forced into hiding, effectively disappearing for over six months while the majority of its SeeDs were left to continue assisting the Knights.

And so, two years after Balamb Garden's victory over Sorceress Ultimecia, the heroes of the world were being hunted by the world for protecting the very being they were destined to destroy—the sorceress—and their only ally, Galbadia, was once the puppet of their greatest enemy.


	2. Chapter 2

DAY TWO: West of the Rhem Archipelago, site of URN Headquarters

A single star was shining in the clear, dark-blue sky in front of the high mobility flying vessel, Ragnarok, as it soared over the ocean waves, turned orange by the setting sun, towards the Island Closest to Hell.

"We're almost there, Captain," Nida told Quistis from the pilot seat as she entered the control room.

"Excellent," Quistis replied while walking up behind Nida's chair, her eyes locked on the solitary wishing star visible through the control room's glass covering.

Turning to a young SeeD operative sitting at the navigations station, Quistis said, "Rais; when the URN air control station contacts us, give them the ship ID Selphie provided. Our ship should appear registered to the Estharian fleet."

"Right, but…how come we don't just fly into Galbadia?" Rais asked nervously.

"Because Esthar monitors aircraft approaching Galbadia from the west in an attempt to locate Balamb Garden; if we flew straight into Galbadia, we'd never get back out without them hassling us. We also can't approach from any other direction because of Timber and Dollet, so this is our only option."

"Oh yeah...So, tell me again how Selphie got falsified ID codes?"

"From our friend, Ward Zabac, who happens to be the Director of Estharian Military Operations," Quistis replied with a faint smile while moving her long hair behind her shoulder; she'd taken to wearing it down as of late, and on this particular venture, she'd braided her bangs and pulled them around her head, forming a crown of sorts. "Relax, Rais; everything will be fine."

Nida turned around at that point, and surprised by Quistis' attire, said, "Wow, Captain; you look stunning—I didn't know we were going in as civilians."

Quistis smiled, delighted by Nida's comment; she'd spent a lot of time choosing her outfit considering it was her first trip away from Balamb Garden in months. She'd selected high-heel orange leather boots, black Capri-jeans with a light purple belt, a loose fitting orange silk halter-top, a sleek short sleeved purple leather racing jacket, and black elbow length fingerless cotton gloves.

"We're not going in as civilians, but we're not going dressed as SeeDs from Balamb Garden, either; both of you should change before landing."

"Yes, Sir!" Nida and Rais said at the same time.

Just then, Rais' control panel lit up, indicating an incoming message. When he'd pushed a button or two, a voice said, "Ragnarok-Class airship, this is URN air station requesting—"

"Eight!" Rais interrupted. "Uh—F, F, eight, two; currently on assignment. We're, um, coming in for landing, Sir!"

Quistis and Nida both sighed, but the voice on the radio seemed satisfied:

"Affirmative, F, F, eight, two; URN personnel will be meeting you on the airstrip."

"Right! Um, thanks!" Rais shouted before abruptly ending the call and yelling, "URN personnel!? Oh man—do you think they know!?"

"Oh course not," Nida said firmly. "We'll be fine as long as you keep your head on straight."

"Right!" Rais shouted tensely. "A SeeD operative is an expert in hand to hand combat as well as infiltration and espionage!"

"Why don't you go get changed," Quistis said lightly; Rais hastily followed her order.

As Quistis sat in the co-pilot seat, Nida said, "I hope that guy doesn't blow this for us…"

"We'll be leaving him in charge of this ship…Despite my insistence to bring him, I don't think he's ready for the field."

After a brief silence, Nida said, "Sure is a lot of traffic around here."

"Indeed," Quistis responded; Nida had moved over the Island Closest to Hell and was approaching the Rhem Archipelago where Galbadia Garden now sat, fully refurbished into URN Headquarters and surrounded by glass office buildings and a large diamond shaped runway, on which several different colored Ragnarok-Class airships were landing and leaving.

"Esthar's official explanation is military exercises," Quistis continued, "but their URN representative turned head of URN operations, Kiros Seagill, tells us they use those ships for reconnaissance—spying on Galbadia in an attempt to see if their hiding Balamb Garden on the continent somehow...You should go get ready; I'll set us down."

* * *

With the Ragnarok parked behind them, Quistis and Nida walked across the windy airstrip to meet with a stern man being escorted by two Estharian guards. The sun had nearly vanished beneath the distant horizon, tinting the sky a dark-purple color, leaving just enough pale light for Quistis to see the stern man extend his hand.

"I'm Major Stone, head of the Second Estharian Air Battalion."

"A pleasure," Quistis said while shaking Stone's hand. "Leena Ovidia, Lieutenant with the First EAB. This is Sergeant O'Connor," she added while nodding to Nida.

"Air control reports you're here on assignment," Stone said while suspiciously eying the Ragnarok, "but I haven't received any news regarding your arrival, Lieutenant."

"You wouldn't have, Major," Quistis replied pleasantly. "The assignment is top secret. If you'd like, I can give you the details in private."

While slowly raising his hand, at which time the guards escorting him raised their weapons, Stone narrowed his eyes and said, "I think you'd better give me the details now, Lieutenant; I'll decide if they're 'top secret'."

Though Stone didn't notice, Quistis saw Nida tense up beside her; they hadn't expected a line of questioning.

Remaining calm and polite, Quistis said, "As you wish, Major. Three weeks ago, Sergeant O'Connor was given a mission by the Colonel of Esthar's Ground Forces to lead a fire-team of six men into Timber. Posing as Trabian SeeDs hired by the Exceress faction to combat Galbadia, the Sergeant's objective was to obtain information regarding the Galbadian transport of weapons stolen from Trabian SeeDs earlier this week. It was discovered that the weapons are being transported to the Gotland Peninsula, east of Deling City, to aid Galbadian forces combating Dollet. Our current mission is to intercept this shipment, load it on our ship, and transport it back to Esthar."

When Quistis finished, Nida's wide smile suggested he was impressed by her quick thinking, and after a moment, Stone said, "Spy stuff…"

With a smile almost as big as Nida's, Quistis said, "Exactly."

"Well then," Stone began, "I won't get into it, but you can tell the Ground Force Officers that, in the future, a little heads up would be nice."

"Is that an order, Sir?" Quistis asked cheekily.

Stone merely grumbled, prompting Quistis to say, "We'll be returning here with the shipment later tonight, and timing is of the essence, so a security pass would be wonderful. Also, we'd like to request transport into Deling City as soon as possible."

"I'll see what I can do," Stone replied while making his way off the airstrip.

As Quistis and Nida followed, Nida whispered, "That's some imagination you got there, Captain; you don't even know who the Colonel of Esthar's Ground Forces is, do you?"

Quistis simply smiled.

* * *

Deling City was a remnant of its former glory: After the S.S., Galbadia's reputation was permanently damaged because of its affiliation was the sorceress, plummeting the entire country's economy. The rise of the Knights of Ultima, who'd made Deling City their headquarters after seizing power from President Martine, had rendered the once bustling capital a desolate abode for poverty stricken radicals. The streets were nearly empty, most of the shops had closed down along with the train station, and crime was commonplace.

The transport Major Stone provided for Quistis and Nida dropped them off at the Galbadian Hotel, and once inside, they entered the lounge and made their way to a large booth opposite the stairs. The dim, humid lounge was packed with hopeless drunks that were more and likely the only reason the Hotel was still open, and surprisingly, a piano player was still employed for entertainment purposes; Quistis was familiar with the song he was playing—an old hit called "_Eyes on Me_".

Sensing Nida's upcoming question, Quistis said, "Be patient; Xu said our contact would meet us here…"

As soon as the words left Quistis' mouth, a man wearing a black button-up dress shirt, a tan cashmere suit jacket, loose black jeans with gray double-stitched knees, and dark-purple cowboy boots approached her table with three beers in one hand.

"Irvine?" Quistis said in a shocked manner.

Irvine's hair, which he still wore in a ponytail, had gotten longer, his face was covered with stubble, and his eyes looked heavy, but he was still as attractive as ever.

"Fancy seeing you here, darling," he said while offering Quistis and Nida a beer.

Refusing the perspiring bottle, Quistis said, "We're here on—"

"Business? Shame—all work and no play..."

"What are you doing here?" Quistis asked.

Flashing a handsome smile, Irvine replied, "Pleasure…at least I was until you arrived."

Nida, who'd accepted the beer Irvine offered, said, "You're our contact?"

"Not if you announce it to the world," Irvine said humorously while glancing around the lounge. "Rats and snakes have keen hearing, my friend…"

"Is there somewhere we can talk in private, then?" Quistis asked Irvine. "We're sort of in a hurry."

"I got a room here; follow me."

As Quistis complied, she told Nida to, "Wait here; keep an eye out and inform me of anything suspicious."

* * *

The rooms in the Galbadian Hotel were still the same—three beds against the right wall, a sitting area by the far window—only the faded fabrics seemed to reflect the ailing glory the country. Irvine's room in particular was tidy at first glance, but absently askew upon closer inspection.

Sitting in one of two chairs by the window, Irvine said, "SeeDs from Balamb Garden working with Galbadia's Knights of Ultima secured the supply shipment from Trabian SeeDs two days ago. The shipment is currently offshore in a small boat, but it can be transported at any time."

"Best to do it as soon as possible," Quistis said while sitting in the chair across from Irvine. "Have your men take it to URN Headquarters and tell the personnel that they're part of Sergeant O'Connor's fire-team, then ask for Rais."

"That part of your cover story?" Irvine asked while pulling a cell phone out of his pocket.

Instead of reply, Quistis simply watched Irvine hold his phone to his ear, and when a voice sounded on the other side, he said, "Haul it to URN; ask for Rais," before promptly hanging up.

Irvine then relaxed to the point of almost sliding out of his chair, and Quistis said, "We haven't communicated with Xu since last night; I was unaware you'd be our contact. I can't believe you're in Galbadia…Gosh, I haven't seen you since—"

"The end of Balamb Garden's operations in Esthar dealing with the Lunar Cry—it's been a whole year…You're just as pretty as I remember, too."

Quistis laughed, wishing she could say the same; the more she saw of Irvine, the more run down he appeared.

"So...how have you been?" Irvine asked offhandedly.

Quistis thought for a moment, but when she saw Irvine's searching stare, she cleared her throat and said, "Well, we were here in Galbadia a year ago when the Knights of Ultima first arose, but when Esthar proclaimed they were going to capture Rinoa, we left most of our SeeDs behind and disappeared. Ever since, we've been using encoded frequencies to communicate with Xu, who works in Balamb Meadow and uses Meadow SeeDs to transfer orders, payment, and supplies to our men. Also, with occasional help from Selphie, we organize operations like this so that Balamb Garden can stayed supplied."

Irvine raised his eyebrows. "Well, that's good...a little impersonal..."

"And you?" Quistis asked while looking around the room, noticing several nicknacks. "How long have you been here…?"

After taking a sip of his beer, Irvine replied, "I transferred out of Trabia Garden to Balamb Meadow right when Exceress emerged and started hiring Trabian SeeDs to combat Galbadia, so almost six months, I guess...it was shortly after you guys went into hiding. I figured someone had to be in the thick of everything to ensure minimal casualties between Trabian SeeDs hired by Exceress and Balamb SeeDs hired by Galbadia…"

Seeing the distant look in Irvine's eyes as he stared out the window, Quistis said, "There's more to it than that; don't worry, Irvine, you can tell me. When we left Esthar, you stayed in Trabia to be with Selphie…I don't think you'd leave her there just to mediate foreign conflicts—"

"And why not?" Irvine asked with a smile. "After Trabia's reconstruction, a lot of Balamb SeeDs studied there in exchange programs until Exceress made enemies out of the two groups. Now, there's a lot of friends out there killing each other because they're being paid to do so. Why shouldn't someone try to help?"

Again, Quistis didn't say anything, and after a moment passed, Irvine added, "You're right, though, there is more to it…"

Leaning forward, eager to show her old friend that she still cared, Quistis said, "Tell me, please."

"I transferred to Balamb Meadow knowing I'd be contracted by Galbadia for the reasons I just told you, but also because something about this whole war didn't feel right to me. I thought that if I got close to these 'Knights of Ultima' running Galbadia, I'd figure out what was really going on…"

Quistis was taken aback by Irvine's answer. "So you and Selphie…?"

"Are just fine; she keeps in contact, just like she keeps in contact with you guys despite the fact you've dropped off the face of the planet…Selphie knows what I'm doing here is important."

After shaking her head, Quistis said, "I'm having trouble understanding, Irvine. The Knights of Ultima have outright said that their goal is the restoration of the Galbadian nation, meaning they're trying to conquer Timber and Dollet again, presumably to cash in on their recent prosperity. Their motivations seem pretty obvious."

"You're right, they do, but they're not. You see, most of the soldiers working with the Knights are Galbadian, and nearly all of them think Rinoa is the reason they lost the S.S. It's kinda' strange then that the Knights didn't hire Trabia instead of Balamb. I can only assume that even though the majority of their men hate Rinoa, the Knights are trying to get close to her with the hopes that she'll take the place of Edea, or Ultimecia. Anyway, when I first arrived, I told Galbadia's soldiers that I was a spy during the S.S., working against Rinoa and Balamb Garden from the inside. Of course, considering my assassination attempt on Edea failed and I wasn't sent to D-District afterwards, they all believed me; trusted me. After that, I did some digging and found out that before Exceress went public, its members funded the Knights' uprising in the first place."

Quistis studied Irvine, thinking he might be slightly intoxicated, before methodically explaining, "Timber's Exceress faction thinks Galbadia's partnership with Balamb Garden will led to the S.S. all over again, which based on what you just told me is exactly what the Knights of Ultima want. To stop that, Exceress has independently hired Trabian SeeDs to take down Galbadia because their government refuses to join the war…So tell me; why would Exceress hire mercenaries to topple an organization they helped establish?"

"I know; it doesn't make sense, but I'm not just going on wild rumors, here. When I told Selphie all this, she uncovered records of transactions that prove Exceress members supplied the Knights with the weapons needed for their initial takeover."

Quistis was speechless; she'd known Irvine fancied himself a 'lone wolf', but never imagined he'd be able to undertake such an investigation all on his own, and his findings were extremely important—if what he was saying was true, it meant that Exceress had secretly funded what was essentially a terrorist organization, meaning its members could legally be imprisoned under Timber legislation.

"Why haven't you reported this to anyone?" Quistis said at last. "This information could stop the battles raging between SeeDs from Trabia and Balamb; that's what you want, isn't it?"

"It's not that simple, darling," Irvine replied slyly. "The only reason I'm able to be here helping you is because Galbadia's hired Balamb SeeDs—"

"There are other operatives that could help us smuggle supplies to Garden through Galbadia. Just trust me enough to tell me what's wrong!"

Irvine studied Quistis with an odd expression. "Tell you what's wrong…?"

"I just meant," Quistis started, feeling embarrassed, "that there's something you're not telling me."

A strange grin spread across Irvine's face. "Are you used to being kept in the dark? Having some kinda' separation issues…?"

Quistis' mouth fell open. "What the Hell is that supposed to mean?"

"The reason I haven't reported this to any government officials is because it would blow my cover before I'm aware of the whole truth; plain and simple. You, however, seem convinced I'm hiding something—"

"Maybe that's because you didn't bother telling us you'd be our contact for this mission."

"Hey, you said yourself that you haven't had contact with Xu since yesterday; how is that my fault? And all business aside, sweetness, I think you're the one hiding something…"

"That's ridiculous—"

"You feel left out," Irvine said while rubbing his chin in a thoughtful manner. "No, scratch that; unimportant."

Angrily, Quistis said, "Unimportant? Operation of Balamb Garden has been my sole responsibility for over five months—I look after everyone! I handle SeeD contracting and payment, obtain and ration supplies, oversee training exercises—"

"And Squall just hangs out with Rinoa upstairs?"

"No! Squall is—"

"…Squall is what?" Irvine asked ardently with a slight smile; his skills as an investigator were impressive—he'd managed to pick up on troubling emotions Quistis thought she'd hidden completely.

The truth was that Quistis didn't know how Squall was doing. Shortly after going into hiding, he'd handed management of Garden over to her and steadily withdrew. Since then, she'd ensured they remained anonymous by constantly moving around the globe, handling all of SeeDs contracts through coded channels with Xu and Selphie. The pressure had been begun weighing her down a long time ago, and Squall's reluctance help out or confide in her, choosing instead to cut himself off, had left her feeling dejected, alone, and like Irvine said, unimportant.

Was she not worthy of Squall's trust? Did he see her as anything more than someone he could shove responsibility onto? She didn't have the answers, and Irvine was right, her repeated inquiries were an attempt to feel needed and trusted as more than a college—as a friend.

"Squall's an asshole," Irvine said. "Hooking up with Rinoa wasn't going to change that; he's the only one that can. I'm not saying the guy doesn't have it hard, but I have a pretty good idea what he's been doing out there for the last six months…"

"He's been doing the same thing he always does," Quistis said. "Brood—only now he doesn't have Cid to distract him with missions…He's not an—a jerk, though; he just thinks about everything too much…It'd just be nice if he'd let me in, after everything we've been through together..."

"I seem to remember everyone getting along fine in Esthar. Granted, the entire world wasn't trying to kill Squall's girlfriend back then." Irvine leaned forward with a smile, placing his hand on Quistis' knee. "He'll come around…maybe all he needs is instruction."

Quistis looked at Irvine, grateful for his implication. "Thanks Irvine…It's been really good seeing you…"

"The pleasure's all mine, darling."

Suddenly, someone started banging on the door. Irvine shot a nervous glance at Quistis before hopping off his chair and removing a large silver gun from beneath one of the beds. Quistis quietly ran to the door, and when Irvine gave her a nod, she flung it open.

"Captain!" Nida shouted breathlessly, rushing inside. "Captain; Rais just sent word—multiple Ragnarok-Class frigates have just left the URN airbase headed for Garden!"

"Garden!?" Quistis shouted. "How'd they discover its location?"

"Coordinates from Esthar were sent in shortly after we arrived; that's all I know! Rais said the supply shipment has already been loaded and no one has discovered we're actually from Garden. I think we'll be able to get away without any problems, but we have to hurry—we have to stop those frigates from reaching Garden!"

Quistis looked at Irvine, who let his gun rest on his shoulder and said, "Go get 'em, wild cat."

Before leaving, Quistis gave Irvine a hug. Then, her and Nida hurried back to their ship as fast as possible.


	3. Chapter 3

DAY ONE: Dollet

The rectangular meeting room on the second floor of Dollet's newly established presidential building was made entirely out of dark cherry wood, and everything from the floors to the walls had been shined to perfection with a lemon-scented polish. The resulting aroma was overwhelming.

Seated around the large table in the middle of the room, bathed in the soft yellow light of the beautiful chandelier, were numerous politicians dressed in expensive suits. Zell, who was standing behind the seat of Balamb Meadow's Headmaster Cid Kramer at the far end of the table, was wearing dark-blue leather combat boots, baggy light-blue jeans, a white tank-top, and a sleeveless red leather jacket with black fur lining and a large hood. Feeling out of place, he glanced towards the door at the other end of the room, above which a clock read 8:02 PM. Looking over his left shoulder out the large window behind him, Zell saw happy people cluttered around the fountain in the middle of Dollet square and wanted nothing more than explore the city with Natalie Preston, who happened to be standing right next to him wearing a simple black business dress, down the back of which descended her trademark pigtail.

Giving in to a rush of energy, Zell tugged on his trusty studded gloves, said "_Tch_" out loud to no one, and took a swing at the air; Natalie immediately slapped his arm while giving him a look that could kill a behemoth.

"Please, try to understand Dollet's position," said the sophisticated man sitting at the far end of the table, opposite Cid. The man was President David Mortimer of Dollet, former Duke of the Dollet Duchy. Sitting beside Mortimer was a Dollet General named Roth, behind which stood two uniformed soldiers.

"I do understand," the Administrator of the Balamb Township, Denton Lombard, said heatedly from the seat next to Cid. "You've made yourself perfectly clear, and I believe I have, as well."

"Compliance will only end the war sooner," a man named Albert Woodrow said from his seat on the right side of the table. Woodrow was a prominent board member of the Exceress faction, and sitting next to him was Thomas Gren, Exceress' finance manager; across from them was Timber's government representative, Lisa Lind.

"Woodrow's right," Mortimer said. "Allowing Dollet to establish a temporary military outpost outside of Balamb for the sole purpose of utilizing the transcontinental railroad will allow us to hastily assist Trabian SeeDs in Timber hired by Exceress to help us fight Galbadia—"

"I'm sorry," Lombard said, "but my answer is no, and the other members of the Balamb Town Board agree with me—we don't want a foreign military presence anywhere near us, especially after what happened during the S.S."

Instead of paying attention, Zell was thinking about taking Natalie out to dinner, or to the beach, or anywhere that wasn't a lemon-scented wooden box stuffed with arguing suits. Without even realizing it, he began bouncing on his heels.

After a long moment of silence, Mortimer said, "Balamb citizens may remember the cruelty of the sorceress, but that was two years ago—"

"You're refusal, Mr. Lombard," Woodrow impatiently interrupted, "only makes it harder for us to fight Galbadia, which only increases the risk that they'll once again return to power with help of the sorceress!"

"It's true that Galbadia employs SeeDs from Balamb Garden," Cid stated loudly, "but they also employ SeeDs from Balamb Meadow, none of which have observed any evidence suggesting Galbadia's leading political party, the Knights of Ultima, have any interest in the sorceress; it may even be safe to say that Balamb Garden's SeeDs have no contact with the sorceress whatsoever, just like the rest of the world—"

"That's absurd; who do you think you're kidding, Kramer!?" Woodrow demanded, but Lisa Lind spoke up before Cid could answer:

"I believe the point of this meeting was to arrange a deal between Balamb and Dollet, which obviously isn't going to happen. There is nothing else for us to discuss."

Exceress was trying to move Dollet troops onto privately owned land in Timber, and since Timber's government wished to remain neutral in the conflict, Lind's only objective as Timber's representative was to ensure the current meeting ended badly.

"She's right," Lombard said. "Balamb will not accept this arrangement."

Woodrow looked beside himself, though Gren and Mortimer appeared relatively calm.

"Very well," Mortimer said. "This meeting is adjourned. I would like to thank all those in attendance for their participation."

"Finally," Zell whispered as everyone stood up.

Cid and Lombard followed Lind out of the meeting room, and as Zell and Natalie trailed behind, Zell noticed Mortimer and General Roth talking in hushed voices with Woodrow and Gren.

Outside the meeting room was a pleasantly decorated waiting room, at the end of which was an elevator leading to the first floor, and while Cid was talking with Lombard, Zell asked, "We getting a hotel here or what, Headmaster?"

Turning from Lombard to Zell, Cid politely replied, "I know you were looking forward to a bit of a vacation, but Administrator Lombard would like us to escort him back to Balamb tonight."

"Tch," Zell said with crossing his arms. "Frickin' Hell, man…"

"I still have some business to attend to," Lombard said with a smile. "Why don't you meet us at the docks in, say, an hour or so?"

Wrapping her arms around Zell's waist, Natalie said, "Just enough time for a romantic stroll…"

Mortimer, Roth, Woodrow, and Gren exited the meeting room at the point, proceeding towards the elevator, which Lind had just entered, without a word to anyone.

As Lombard and Cid followed, Gren told Woodrow to, "Wait for me downstairs," and then turned to Cid, saying, "Mr. Kramer; I'd like a word, if you don't mind."

Cid nodded to Lombard, who got in the elevator with the others, before saying, "Go ahead, Mr. Gren."

Zell and Natalie hung back, but clearly heard Gren all the same:

"Lombard's decision is regrettable, to say the least. I was hoping we could resolve this issue peacefully, but we must now take matters into our own hands…I'd like to offer you a contract, Mr. Kramer, that would employ the use of every SeeD the Meadow has, including those in Galbadia."

Surprised, Cid said, "Employment of SeeDs already under contract—"

"Would be possible if I offered to double what Galbadia is currently paying, wouldn't you agree?"

Cid stared suspiciously at Gren for a long while before asking, "And what would you need every SeeD in Balamb Meadow for?"

With a sinister smile, Gren replied, "To lay siege to Balamb, allowing us to establish our outpost, of course…Exceress would merely be funding the operation. President Mortimer would be signing the contract, officially affiliating Meadow's SeeDs with Dollet's army, which would make their attacks—"

"An act of war," Cid said with a look of pure outrage.

"…Yes," Gren said slowly. "That is what mercenaries are for, isn't it; war?"

"You're crazy if you think we'd attack Balamb!" Zell yelled. "It's our home, you psycho; our families are there—!"

"Precisely," Gren interrupted. "The citizens of Balamb would sooner surrender than fight their loved ones…"

"That's low," Natalie said. "You're a snake—"

"I'm a saint," Gren hissed. "Lombard's refusal to cooperate with Dollet will only prolong the war that we're trying to end. If you accept my offer, you will be helping us achieve that goal. If you refuse, however, you must realize that Dollet will eventually invade Balamb, anyway…This is the only way to minimize the damage; you understand that, don't you?"

"You can't be serious!" Zell said in a desperate way. "Headmaster, tell this guy to choke on his forked tongue—!"

"I would hope, Mr. Kramer," Gren interjected with his eyes on Zell, "that the esteemed overseer of such a respectable organization wouldn't take advice from the likes of…that."

"The Hell you just say!?" Zell shouted while rushing forward, fully prepared to deck Gren in the mouth.

Cid and Natalie intervened, and when Zell had abandoned his attempt to knock Gren utterly senseless, Cid said, "I'm sorry, Mr. Gren, but I cannot accept your offer on the grounds that it clashes with the ethics of my organization." Pulling Zell towards the elevator, Cid added, "I hope you have a pleasant trip back to Timber," while Natalie fiercely hammered the down button.

Once inside the elevator, Zell punched the wall while shouting, "Can you believe that guy!?"

"Calm down, Zell," Cid said quietly. "You've only a short time to enjoy the city; best not let what just happened ruin it."

"Cid's right," Natalie said while tugging on Zell's coat. "Let's try to have fun, okay? Forget about that ugly serpent…"

Breathing deeply, trying to let his muscles relax, Zell nodded in a small way; Natalie's ensuing smile ignited a warm sensation in his chest.

* * *

The stars were shining brightly, the air was fresh, and as Zell and Natalie walked down the beach hand in hand, he quietly reflected on everything that had happened since the end of the S.S.

Two years ago in Esthar, before Balamb Garden was being hunted for harboring a sorceress who'd done nothing wrong, Zell and the friends he'd help defeat Ultimecia were fighting side by side against monsters released during the Lunar Cry. Early on, Squall had demonstrated his trust by placing Zell in charge of an entire platoon; he'd been elated, but quickly discovered that despite his desire to be a leader, he was much better at following—half his platoon was killed because of one bad call.

After that, Zell withdrew from the field, spending the next seven months relentlessly training and studying battle strategies in the library. During that time, Natalie helped him deal with his guilt, and because of her, he slowly remembered how to smile and relax. On Balamb Garden's last day in Esthar, Zell and Natalie consummated their relationship.

Less than a month after Garden returned to Balamb, contracts started arriving from Galbadia. Zell was completely opposed to accepting them, but Squall saw the contracts as the only way to support everyone and accepted anyway; when Balamb Garden moved to Galbadia, Zell stayed behind. Once again, Natalie was there for him, and she eventually convinced him to become a SeeD instructor at Balamb Meadow, which in addition to keeping him close to his family, gave him the opportunity to spend every night next to her.

Now, almost a year later, he was on the beaches of Dollet with the woman he planned on marrying, building a normal life with, and loving until he was dead in the ground, and all he could think about was Gren's assurance that Dollet would inevitably invade Balamb.

"Is something wrong?" Natalie asked in a voice that broke the silence like sunlight shining through heavy clouds.

Releasing her hand, Zell said, "Nay, it's nothing—just hungry. We should'a grabbed some hotdogs from that vendor in the square."

"Come on," Natalie said. "I know when you're hungry and when you're distraught."

"I'm not distraught," Zell said while putting his right hand in his pocket, playing with a simple golden ring at the bottom. "I'm just…worried..."

Natalie laughed softly before saying, "That's what distraught is, silly."

As Natalie tried to playfully push Zell, he caught her hand and hastily slid the ring over her finger. Her face was slowly overtaken by a shocked, joyous, terrified, and dreamy expression.

"I was kinda' hoping," Zell said in a small way, "that maybe you'd…ya' know…marry me?"

An agonizing moment of silence passed before Natalie slowly said, "If you'd waited any longer to ask me that, I was going to ask you."

Zell's face lit up brighter than the North Star. "So, you mean…are you saying—!?"

"Yes!" Natalie shouted happily. "Or course it's yes!"

"YEAH!" Zell exclaimed while grabbing Natalie around the waist, lifting her into the air, and spinning her around before ultimately losing his balance and falling backwards into the sand. There, Natalie lightly kissed Zell while lying on top of him. After another small kiss, he hugged her tightly, sat up, and passionately returned her affection.

The powerfully blissful moment was suddenly interrupted by Headmaster Cid, who yelled, "Zell, Natalie; I need to talk with you immediately!"

Natalie helped Zell stand before running to Cid, who was standing on the stone stairs that led from the beach through middle of the city. "Headmaster Cid! He finally proposed! Look at the ring! Oh, isn't it beautiful?"

"She said yes, Cid!" Zell shouted as he came to a stop behind Natalie. "She said yes, just like you said she would!"

With a happy yet troubled expression, Headmaster Cid began cleaning his glasses, and when several seconds had silently passed by, Natalie asked, "Aren't you happy for us, Headmaster?"

"Of course I am, of course," Cid said in a shaky voice while putting his glasses back on. "It's just that…"

The sudden sound of several ships cutting through the ocean waves finished Cid's statement for him.

"Dollet's Navy?" Natalie whispered.

"The Hell is going on!?" Zell shouted.

Administrator Lombard came rushing up behind Cid at that point, breathlessly saying, "Thank Heaven you've found them. We must ready our ship and send a warning to the town and Meadow! Quickly, all of you follow me! Dollet is launching an invasion against Balamb!"

* * *

At eight minutes to midnight, a Meadow SeeD assault boat approached Balamb with Zell standing behind the turret mounted on the roof, staring at countless Dollet battleships lining the beach. With no official army, it was likely that Balamb was already under Dollet's control; the lack of fires suggested the takeover had been achieved with little opposition. However, according to what Lombard had overheard General Roth telling Woodrow, Dollet's goal the entire time wasn't the use of the transcontinental railroad—it was the destruction of Balamb Meadow, which they believed was aiding the sorceress. Ironically, they were right; the only thing keeping the passengers onboard Balamb Garden alive was Xu, who though contact with Quistis and Selphie had been using Meadow SeeDs to ensure the acquisition and transport of supplies.

Venturing inside through a small hatch, Zell saw Cid and Lombard sitting on long bench seats on both sides of the vessel; Natalie was steering . "So, what's the plan?"

"The town's people will be alright," Lombard said heavily. "I only wish we'd gotten here sooner…"

"What about the Meadow?"

"While you were on the roof," Cid started quietly, "Xu informed us that nearly everyone surrendered and was detained on Dollet ships…"

"They just gave up!?"

"Most of Meadow's personnel have family in Balamb," Lombard said. "All Dollet had to do was threaten them…"

"Frickin' kidding me," Zell said through gritted teeth. "What about Xu; you said she contacted you, right?"

"Xu," Cid began slowly, "resisted along with several others. Before we lost communication, she said the enemy was going throughout the Meadow planting explosive charges while gathering up the resistance members, herding them into the courtyard..."

"Okay, sweet," Zell said in an excited manner, receiving outraged looks from Cid and Lombard. "They're in the courtyard; the approach to Meadow's entrance is the same as it was for Garden's, so that means all we gotta' do is break through the front gate, go down some damn stairs, and bam! We'll land away from Dollet's ships on the beach east of Balamb, I'll charge up there and save 'em, we'll jack a ride, high tail it back here, and then book it up to Trabia!"

After a slight pause, Lombard said, "That's actually a good plan, except for the part where you single handedly break through Dollet's defenses after running your happy ass all the way from the beach to the Meadow before it's blown to smithereens."

"Just get me on that beach and prepare to be amazed!" Zell said, clearly unaffected by Lombard's sarcasm.

Cid started to say, "Zell, you have to realize—" but Zell interrupted with, "Dammit, just tell Natalie to hit that beach! We don't have time for a freakin' debate!"

* * *

Natalie steered the ship at full speed toward the beach, opening the front doors in transit. After giving a thumbs-up to Cid and Lombard, Zell started running, and just when the vessel plowed into the sand, he jumped forward, allowing the power of the crash to propel him over twenty feet through the air.

Falling into a forward roll, Zell retained his momentum, racing across the sand into the green grass while a bright white light consumed his entire body. Yelling fiercely, he jumped just as the light left his body in a flash, transforming into large green orbs that circled around him before rushing into the sky. Harrowing thunder resounded throughout the area as he landed firmly on his feet, and a second later, an incredibly intimidating beast descended from the sky like a comet, landing in a hail of fire right in front of him.

"Ifrit!" Zell shouted while running up the beast's back, latching onto his fiery red hair. "To the Meadow, big fella', and make it snappy!"

With an echoing roar, Ifrit leaped over two hundred feet into the air with such force that the ground quaked. Clearing over eight hundred yards with each mighty bound, Ifrit arrived on the outskirts of Balamb Meadow in mere minutes; the golden facility that was the Meadow looked nearly identical to Balamb Garden, only its shape was rigidly square instead of rounded.

Several Dollet Military Transport Vehicles lined the road leading to the entrance, and standing around the vehicles were nearly a hundred Dollet soldiers, all of which were utterly terrified when Ifrit landed in the middle of the street, breaking the asphalt into jagged pieces. While the enemy soldiers panicked, Ifrit hammered his fists onto the pavement, creating a shock wave that decimated the landscape and brought molten lava spewing up from below. As soon as Zell hopped off his back, the beast leaped into the sky once again, and streams of lava mixed with chunks of earth followed him like metal shavings to a magnet, condensing into a spherical liquid inferno. With all the strength the beast possessed, he slammed the ball of burning magma down onto the horror-stricken troops beneath, creating a massive crater that overflowed with a scorching flood of destruction. Then, as quickly as he had appeared, the terror known as Ifrit disintegrated into a shower of flaming cinders.

Zell barreled around the edge of the crater, darting past pools of fire and smoking bodies, towards the Meadow's entrance. There were still two or three vehicles outside the gate, behind which about twenty soldiers emerged from hiding. Without slowing down, Zell plowed one of the soldiers to the ground with an outstretched arm, turned and elbowed another straight in the face, ducked a swinging sword before delivering a roundhouse to the would-be attacker, and all in all trampled his opponents with punches, heel drops, shift kicks, and head bashes while blocking, countering, and dodging sharp blades, deadly spears, and gunfire.

With most of the soldiers unconscious or retreating, Zell finished off the last brave soul standing in his way before relentlessly kicking the metal gate, bending the bars so that he could enter. Running down the stairs into the courtyard, he found Xu and eight other Meadow SeeDs in uniforms identical to Balamb Garden's SeeD uniforms, only they were dark-blue instead of black. All of them were tied up, and standing guard around them, to Zell's amazement, were other Meadow SeeDs.

The SeeDs guarding the others started fleeing when they saw Zell, and because of his confusion, he let them run right past him.

Once the apparent traitors were gone, Zell set to work untying the others, asking Xu, "The Hell was that about?"

"They've got the detonator for the charges inside the Meadow," Xu replied, apparently unsurprised to see Zell. "They were interrogating us, trying to find out where Balamb Garden is. I think they were working with Dollet because they said that after we told them Garden's location, they were going to move us onto Dollet ships for transport to prison. Then, they were going to blow the Meadow sky high."

"You didn't, did you?" Zell asked. "Tell them where Garden is, I mean."

After a long pause, Xu said, "Some of our cadets are younger than others…they have families in town…"

"At least you're okay," Zell said. "We'll deal with that stuff later; right now, we gotta' get outta' here before those jerks push that button and cause a bang. There are transports we can use right outside, and Cid's waiting for us at the beach…"

"Zell," Xu said while running behind him and the others. "I'm sorry I couldn't do more; I'm sorry this had to happen."


End file.
